Cytogen Corporation has announced that it has been issued United States patent number 7,135,457 covering its oral drug delivery agents - random peptide compositions that bind to gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) transport receptors.
The patent specifically covers compositions of Cytogen's oral delivery agents that are capable of facilitating transport of an active agent through a human or animal gastro-intestinal tract (GIT), and derivatives and analogs thereof, and nucleotide sequences coding for said proteins and derivatives. The oral delivery agents have use in facilitating transport of active agents from the lumenal side of the GIT into the systemic blood system, and/or in targeting active agents to the GIT.
By binding (covalently or noncovalently) one of Cytogen's delivery agents to an orally administered drug or by coating the surface of nanoparticles or liposomes with the delivery agent, the drug can be targeted to specific receptor sites or transport pathways which are known to operate in the human gastrointestinal tract, thus facilitating its systemic absorption into the bloodstream.
The binding of Cytogen's delivery agents to these receptors has been confirmed in preclinical models, and successful in vivo delivery of both insulin and leuprolide in animal models have been demonstrated. Based on these results, the Company is seeking partnerships for oral drug delivery.